Lever digger



P 1934- H. H. GLASIER 1,973,310

LEVER DIGGER Fil ed July 21, 1953 Inventor Patented Sept. 11 1934 UNITEDSTATES LEVER niacin:

Harold H. Glasier, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 21, 1933, Serial No.- 68g1 5fr35 6 claims. (Cl. 97-58)This invention relatesto a lever operated digger for tilling gardens-orsmall plots of land altho not limitedto this use. The principal objectof this invention is to providea tool of the character de- 5' scribedhaving anovel swivel joint between the ground bracing member and the.lever operated digging member Heretofore intools of this type, a freeoperating swivel has been employed, with the result thatas the diggingelement proceeds :10. to penetrate the soil, uneven hardness of same orsuch obstacles as rocks, tend to divertthe digger away from theseobjects with the result that-the digger --is thusswung out of itsforward course and will therefore not make a satisfactory 15.1penetration. The operator is compelled to spend much of his energy instriving to hold the tool in an even, forward course. By providing alock or stop means, whereby the swivel joint is restrained from makingany side to side movement 5,0; during the process of penetrating thesoil, this serious disadvantage of the free swiveling lever digging toolis overcome. With my device, the swivel joint is converted into a pivotjoint during the act of penetrating the ground and as such, 2-3111permits the digging element to oscillate only and not until it isdesired to lift and turn the soil which has been broken out, is thejoint given free swiveling so that the digging tool may revolve as wellas oscillate. Another object of this so; invention is to provide a leverdigger of light,

simple construction wherein one handle will control both the digging andthe turning operations.

These objects, together with other objects and correspondingaccomplishments are obtained by means of the embodiment of my invention,illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevation, Fig. 2 a plan view, Fig. 3 a front elevation and Fig. 4 afragmentary view showing the lock or stop feature of the swivel 1401joint.

Referring to the drawing, the device is seen to consist of a brace frameformed of two longitudinal runners 1 held in place by three cross ribsand emerging into the ground engaging feet 2.

A sleeve 3 is pivoted to the forward extremity of brace frame 1 by meansof pins 4. Sleeve 3 encompasses the tubular handle lever 5. The handlelever has grips 6 projected laterally from its upper extremity and aforked digging tool pro- 1 5 11601186. forwardly from its lowerextremity. Tu-

bular handle lever 5 is prevented from having other than limited up anddown sliding motion in the sleeve 3 by means of the upper pin 8 and thelower pin 9. Notches 10, cut in both sides of 55. sleeve 3, normallyengage the lower pin 9 and while in this position tubular handle lever51s thereby prevented from revolving within the sleeve 3; Sleeve 3 isalways free to move up wardly and thus break contact with lower 'pin-9,' thereby permittingthe handle lever 5. to freely revolve within thesleeve. The upwardmotion of thesleeve alongthe-handle lever is of courselim. ited by upperpin 8 which movement is justsuffi cientfor notohes 10to clear pin 9. f 1

An extension of runners 1 backwardlyabove 6d the ground engaging feet -2forms a pedal which provides a control means whereby: the operatormanipulates the releasing of the-swivel stoptas will now be described.

In the operation of this device the handle lever 5 is swung forwardly,thus rocking the digger tool 7 in the position for piercing the ground.The handle lever is then drawn backwardly and a pressure exerted by theoperators foot downwardly on the frame 1. The influence of these 75. twoforces causes the digger tool '7 to enter the ground and to continueforwardly until it has scooped up a quantity of soil. The operator thensteps on pedal 11 which tilts the brace frame 1 backwardly, rockingabout the fulcrum point formed by the contact of the ground engagingfeet 2 with the ground. As the brace frame tilts backwardly, its forwardportion of course raises and in so doing it slides the sleeve 3upwardly, thus releasing its contact with pin 9 and thereby 85,2permitting the tubular handle lever 5 to freely revolve within it. Theoperator has by now drawn the handle lever 5 directly to him whichaction results in the entire implement continuing the backwardly tilt ofthe brace frame until the loaded digger tool has swung to a sufficientheight to enable it to fully clear the surface of the ground whereuponit is revolved by twisting the handle grips 6. A half revolution issuificient to effect a good turning of the soil held in the digger.

The operator then removeshis foot from the pedal 2 and twists handlegrips 6 back to their normal cross position, whereupon lower pin 9 isturned to the point where it contacts notches 10 in sleeve 3 and thenotches immediately fall over the pin and the handle lever is againlocked or stopped from revolving and rigidly holds the digger tool in aforwardly point course while it again is forced into the ground. Werethere no m5 stop means provided, the tool would waver and swing fromside to side as rocks and roots and hard spots were encountered andlittle penetration would be made as all the thrust against the toolwould be consumed in worming sideward- 1.1

1y. To conserve all the motion exerted by the operator thru the handlelever and direct this motion fully upon the tool so that the ground maybe pierced with the full efficiency of the tool is the principal objectof this invention.

What I claim is:

1. A lever digger comprising a digging tool, a lever provided to actuatesaid digging tool, a ground brace against which said digging toolfulcrums, and a. swivel joint connecting said ground brace and saidlever, said swivel joint being convertible to a pivot joint.

2. A lever digger comprising a diggingtool, a lever provided tooscillate and revolve said digging tool, a ground brace to provide afulcrum point for said lever, and a swivel joint between said lever andsaid ground brace, said joint having controllable means provided toprevent said lever from revolving said digging tool.

3. A lever digger comprising a digging tool having a handle, a groundbrace adapted to range along the ground and having feet at its end foranchoring in the ground and fulcruming thereabouts, said digging tooland said handle being swivelly connected tosaid ground brace so as to berockable forwardly and backwardly about the front end of said groundbrace and to be tiltable laterally thereof or to be prevented fromtilting laterally thereof by means of a stop mechanism.

4. A lever digger comprising a digging tool having a handle, a groundbrace adapted to range along the groundand brace thereon, a swivelconnection between said ground brace and said digging tool and itshandle, and controllable stop means provided to support and steady saiddigging tool and its handle and thereby hold said tool in a forwardlypointed course while said tool is in the process of piercing the ground.

5. A lever digger having a ground brace adapted to range along theground and brace thereon, a digging tool propelled by a lever, saidlever being swiveledto the aforesaid ground brace at the front thereof,and stop means to resist lateral swing of said digging tool, said stopmeans being manipulated by suitable controls;

6. A lever digger comprising a ground brace having ground engaging feetfor the purpose of anchoring in the ground and fulcruming thereabouts, apedal extension of said ground brace extending rearwardly above saidground engaging feet, said pedal being for the purpose of providing ameans of tilting said ground brace backwardly, a sleeve pivoted at theforward extremity of said ground brace, said sleeve having notchesprovided therein, a tubular handle lever passing thru said sleeve, anupper and a lower pin projecting thru said tubular handle lever aboveand below said sleeve so as to retain said lever and said sleeve infixed relationship, said lever being free to revolve within said sleeveprovided said lower pin is not engaging the aforesaid notches in saidsleeve, a pair of handle grips laterally projected at the upperextremity of said handle lever, and a digging tool forwardly projectedat the lower extremity of said handle lever.

HAROLD H. GLASIER.

